Park Zvezda (Star Park), Ljubljana

Park Zvezda (Star Park) was laid out after the Congress of Laibach in 1821 as part of the redesign of Congress Square. Its name comes from the paths radiating from the centre in the shape of a star. Built over the remains of a former Capuchin monastery, the park also preserves traces of Roman Emona. A gilded replica marks the site where a 2nd-century bronze statue, known as the Emona Citizen, was discovered in 1836.

Architect Jože Plečnik redesigned the park in the 1930s, adding rows of trees, geometric paving, and stronger visual links with the surrounding buildings. A central music pavilion hosts occasional events. Nearby, the Baroque Holy Trinity Column recalls deliverance from plague, while the 1954 Anchor Monument marks Slovenia’s access to the Adriatic.

The park has hosted major political gatherings and public celebrations. In 1918, crowds assembled here during the proclamation of independence from Austro-Hungarian rule, and the area later played a role in events connected with Slovenia’s independence in 1991. An equestrian statue of King Alexander I, erected in 1940, was destroyed by occupying Italian forces in 1941. Today, the park is a popular meeting place for residents, students, and visitors.